Greening guide

Nurses collect various samples for diagnostic testing. For transport to the laboratory, different single-use containers such as cups, bags, or kidney trays are currently used and then discarded. A reusable transport container is a more sustainable alternative.

Measuring a patient’s blood pressure is an essential part of patient care. Nurses can do this using either disposable or reusable blood pressure cuffs.

Since July 2024, bladder catheterisation may be performed using the new ‘no-touch technique’. In this method, non-sterile gloves are used, and the genital area is cleaned with tap water. This more sustainable approach requires fewer sterile materials and saves time, as the procedure can be performed by a single nurse. With this intervention, nurses put the new guideline into practice.

Measuring a patient’s oxygen saturation is an essential part of patient care. Due to their high consumption in hospitals, disposable pulse oximeters have a considerable environmental impact.

For acute wounds (traumatic or surgical), irrigation using a female catheter filled with lukewarm tap water is recommended instead of NaCl 0.9%. This increases patient comfort and reduces material use, as a new sterile NaCl 0.9% bottle or sterile collection tray is no longer needed every 24 hours.

IV lines, the part of the infusion system that remains outside the body and connects to the intravenous catheter, are currently replaced every four days to prevent infections. Research shows that replacing IV systems every seven days does not increase the risk of infection. This saves materials and time for nurses.

A suture removal set contains sterile disposable materials such as gauze, cotton swabs, tweezers, and scissors or a stitch cutter. The tweezers and scissors do not need to be sterile and can be replaced by clean, reusable ones that are cleaned and disinfected. This means the final sterilisation step is omitted after cleaning and disinfection. Mechanical cleaning (thermal disinfection) is preferred over manual cleaning.

Nursing units produce large amounts of waste, including specific hospital waste (SHW). Nurses collect this waste in separate SHW containers, also known as WIVA containers, identifiable by their blue bins with yellow lids. A more sustainable alternative made from recycled plastic has been developed, recognisable by its grey colour.

A maintenance IV with NaCl 0.9% at a flow rate of 5 ml/hour is often used to keep the IV line open for patients not receiving intravenous medication. Reducing the pump rate to 2 ml/hour lowers NaCl 0.9% use, allowing for smaller infusion bags or less frequent bag replacement. This is more sustainable and reduces material consumption.

When hospital departments use different IV systems, IV lines may need to be replaced when a patient is transferred because the systems are not compatible. This leads to unnecessary waste, takes additional time, and can cause discomfort for the patient. A single, standardised IV system prevents this.

Medication is often administered several times a day, and a new medication cup is used for each dose. This generates a large amount of waste and is often unnecessary, as a medication cup can frequently be reused for the same patient.

Medication is often administered several times a day in plastic cups, which generates a large amount of waste. Paper medication cups suitable for liquids (containing less than 5% plastic) offer a more sustainable alternative. In some cases, however, a plastic cup remains necessary, for example when crushing medication.

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Nurses use large quantities of non-sterile gloves during patient care. There are three situations where gloves are required: 1) when caring for patients in isolation 2) when there is a risk of contact with mucous membranes or bodily fluids 3) when preparing certain medications. Wearing gloves as a standard practice is not recommended¹. Due to the high consumption rates in hospitals, gloves have a considerable environmental impact².

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Isolation gowns are part of personal protective equipment and are used in specific isolation protocols. Due to their high consumption in hospitals, disposable isolation gowns have a significant environmental impact¹.

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Disposable baby bottles used for feeding have a considerable environmental impact due to the high consumption rates in hospitals¹, even though reusable alternatives are available. A reusable glass baby bottle is the preferred option^2.